Studia Islandica - 01.07.1963, Page 95

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of the saga. On the whole, he does not believe in any possibility of
determining the authorship.
Anyhow, it might be worth while to dwell a little longer on the
subject of Ólafr Þórðarson. The big compilation Síurlunga saga gives
a rather good picture of his activities and individuality. In this con-
temporary chronicle, it is particularly the central part, IslendLinga saga,
written by Ólafr’s brother Sturla, and Þorgils saga skarSa which in-
form us of his participation in the turbulent political life of the epoch.
In the years 1237—1241, or perhaps longer, Ólafr dwelt in Norway
and Denmark. He seems to have been on friendly terms both with the
Norwegian King Hákon Hákonarson and the Earl Skúli Bárðarson,
and with the Danish Iving Valdemar Sejr. Twice, in the years 1248
—50 and in 1252, he held the highest civil office of Iceland, that of
the Lawman; during his latter period he withdrew on account of ill-
ness, as Þorgils saga skarSa puts it. He died in 1259. All that we know
of Ólafr Þórðarson shows him to have been an amiable man, unusually
peaceable for his time, ready to conciliate in the bitter contentions and
feuds of his surroundings.
It is obvious that Ólafr Þórðarson must have had a very good first-
hand knowledge of those parts of Iceland where the action in LaxcLœla
unfolds itself. Moreover, in the winter 1237—1238 he dwelt in Niðar-
óss, the place where the sworn brothers Kjartan and Bolli met the
Norwegian King Ólafr Tryggvason and were christened according to
his wish. But there is little known about his activity as an author.
Like his brother Sturla he was an able scald and has dedicated poems
to the contemporary monarchs both in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
He also composed drápur in honour of Saint Thomas a Becket and
the Icelandic bishop and Saint Þorlákr Þórhallsson, who died in 1193.
Only fragments of all these poems are left today.
The only prose work known under Ólafr Þórðarson’s name is the
so-called Third grammatical treatise. This pamphlet, dealing with va-
rious philological, rhetorical and poetical problems and devices, is
based on classical authors like Priscianus and Donatus, but reveals at
the same time an intimate familiarity with the native Scaldic tradi-
tion. The author displays an impressive ability to apply the classical
conceptions and terminology to Icelandic conditions and language.
Two other prose works have, however, been attributed to Ólafr
Þórðarson — though sporadically and somewhat tentatively — by
scholars of our time. Thus Finnur Jónsson thinks it plausible that Fagr-
skinna, the well-known collection of Norse Kings’ sagas, should be Ólafr’s
work, inspired by King Hákon Hákonarson when Ólafr was on a visit
to Norway. Fagrskinna reveals a great interest in and knowledge of
the Scaldic poetry from ancient times; in that field Ólafr was an out-